I'm a new owner of a 720!!

[Brianna]

After weeks, more than a month, of researching and reading on GPS units, I finally made up my mind and got my 720!! My husband ordered it on Saturday and it came to the house on Tuesday. My husband wasn't going to let me open it until Christmas, being that it is my Christmas gift and all. After a day of begging and pleading, he finally caved in and let me open it up.

I opened up the box this morning before going to work thinking that I would at least be able to perform the initial backup as recommended here. I popped in the HOME cd and it installed fine. I believe it installed version 1.6-something..? It didn't prompt me for any updates (I thought there was a v 2.0 of HOME now ). I then turned on my 720 and set the preferences. I plugged in the dock to the USB on my computer, connected the 720 to the dock and powered it on. However, HOME doesn't recognize the device. I was never asked if I wanted to connect the 720. So I clicked on the backup tab on the HOME program but then it told me to connect the 720 - which it already was connected. I didn't have time to further figure it out b/c I had to go to work (bummer).

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

 

[Domcab]

Try reset the 720

 

[dhn]

Unfortunately, the user manual does not come with the unit. Not even on the CD as I remember. You'll have to dl it from TomTom's site.

Anyway, the manual suggests the very first time you're going to operate the unit, that you make sure the unit is fully charged. You do this by connecting the usb cradlew to the pc and docking the unit in the cradle while the pc is on.

You didn't mention in your post whether you had fully charged the unit or not. Try that with the unit's power off and then power it on while the pc is on and the unit is still in the cradle. (green light on unit will show it's getting power).


Also, you didn't say what the operating system of your computer is.

If XP Home or Business WITH Service Pack 2 applied, powering up the unit in the dock with the pc powered on should result in a 'clunk' sound and a new icon in the notification area (bottom right of the pc screen) with a green arrow, signifying the pc has detected a new usb device.

If you do NOT have Service Pack 2 applied and you DO have XP, the problem may be there; the operating system is not recognizing the usb device.

 

[oliwa]

I would uninstall the version of Home that came on the CD and download and install the latest.

http://www.tomtom.com/plus/service.php?ID=17

 

[Brianna]

Unfortunately, the user manual does not come with the unit. Not even on the CD as I remember. You'll have to dl it from TomTom's site.

Anyway, the manual suggests the very first time you're going to operate the unit, that you make sure the unit is fully charged. You do this by connecting the usb cradlew to the pc and docking the unit in the cradle while the pc is on.

You didn't mention in your post whether you had fully charged the unit or not. Try that with the unit's power off and then power it on while the pc is on and the unit is still in the cradle. (green light on unit will show it's getting power).


Also, you didn't say what the operating system of your computer is.

If XP Home or Business WITH Service Pack 2 applied, powering up the unit in the dock with the pc powered on should result in a 'clunk' sound and a new icon in the notification area (bottom right of the pc screen) with a green arrow, signifying the pc has detected a new usb device.

If you do NOT have Service Pack 2 applied and you DO have XP, the problem may be there; the operating system is not recognizing the usb device.

My 720 was not fully charged. I am using Windows XP - not sure if it's the HOME or BUSINESS version. I do know that it has SP 1. I tried updating to SP2 and my computer basically shut down. I'm not sure if my daughter (who's 2 1/2 and loves to touch the computer) touched the keyboard or did something to interfer with the download but I had to shut down the computer and it wouldn't start up properly. I had to uninstall the SP2 in order for the computer to start up. I was afraid that I had killed my computer (can you tell I'm extremely computer illiterate? - did I even spell that correctly?). So if I have to download SP2, that makes me worried.....

I'll try to fully charge my 720 first and see if that works. If not, I'll let y'all know.

 

[Brianna]

I would uninstall the version of Home that came on the CD and download and install the latest.

http://www.tomtom.com/plus/service.php?ID=17

Thanks for the link. I will do that.

 

[Boyd]

Well my 720 recognized the computer right away when I powered it up in the dock, but my 920T never has for some reason. However, if I start up the 920T out of the dock, then plug it in "hot", it recognizes the computer immediately and asks if I want to connect.

This sounds like it might be the same behavior as yours. I don't know if there's a fix, and I haven't looked for one since it works fine if you just remember to start up the GPS before connecting to the computer.

Actually, it's handy because I can put the GPS in the cradle and let it charge the battery over USB without it starting up.

 

[Brianna]

I would uninstall the version of Home that came on the CD and download and install the latest.

http://www.tomtom.com/plus/service.php?ID=17

I successfully downloaded HOME 2.1!!

Still can't get my 720 to establish a connection to HOME

It's almost fully charged so I don't think that's the problem. What should I do now? Will I need to update my Service Pack from 1 to 2?

 

[Brianna]

However, if I start up the 920T out of the dock, then plug it in "hot", it recognizes the computer immediately and asks if I want to connect.

Thanks Boyd! This worked for me. I powered up the 720 then put it in the dock and it established a connection with my computer.

I'm performing the first raw backup right now. I noticed that it said HOME will hold one backup. So if I were to perform a 2nd backup, it would replace the first raw backup. I don't want to lose my 1st initial backup, so how would I save it?

 

[dhn]

I'm performing the first raw backup right now. I noticed that it said HOME will hold one backup. So if I were to perform a 2nd backup, it would replace the first raw backup. I don't want to lose my 1st initial backup, so how would I save it?

Create a folder somewhere on your hard drive. Now, using Windows Explorer (or some other file manager) copy all the contents of your unit to this folder on your hard drive.

TomTom Home's backup option does NOT do a complete copy of the unit's contents.

 

[Brianna]

Create a folder somewhere on your hard drive. Now, using Windows Explorer (or some other file manager) copy all the contents of your unit to this folder on your hard drive.

TomTom Home's backup option does NOT do a complete copy of the unit's contents.

I'm not good with computers. Could you give me more information on how to perform the complete backup to my computer?

 

[Boyd]

Still can't get my 720 to establish a connection to HOME

Did you try my suggestion? Startup your 720 while it is not connected to your computer. After it's up and running, put it into the cradle. The GPS should put up a screen asking if you want to connect to your computer; tap the yes button. If that works, wait a minute while the GPS restarts (you should see a progress bar across the screen, then it will change to another screen with a picture of the GPS in its cradle. Don't unplug it while the red X shows on the screen.

Now you can start the HOME program manually if it doesn't start up all by itself. However, if your GPS didn't recognize the computer and ask if you wanted to connect as described above, then you're having some other sort of issue and won't be able to do a backup. I'm on the Mac so somebody else will have to think of Windows troubleshooting suggestions.

 

[dhn]

I'm not good with computers. Could you give me more information on how to perform the complete backup to my computer?

1. With the unit ON and in its cradle, Open Windows Explorer
2. On your C:\ drive, create a new folder somewhere where you'll remember where it is and call it something obvious like 'TomTom Complete Backup'
3. Using Windows Explorer, now click on 'My Computer' and when it expands, you should see a reference to a drive letter that represents the unit (it may be showing as D:\, or E:\, etc.
4. Click on this drive and it should open to reveal all folders and files in the unit.
5. Do a Ctl-A (control key and A at the same time). Everything in the unit should be highlighted. Now, do a Ctl-C (for copy all)
6. Using explorer, now highlight (but do not open) the backup folder on the computer hard drive.
7. Do a Ctl-V (for paste all).
8. All the files and folders should copy from the unit to the folder on the hard drive. Will take 5 minutes or so for the copying to be done.
9. That's it.

 

[Boyd]

Sorry Brianna, I missed your earlier post. It sounds like you have everything sorted out. I've tried HOME on both the Mac and the PC and don't remember it saying anything about only allowing one backup, and in fact I made a couple backups on each machine and gave them different names.

Perhaps the problem is that you just don't have enough free disk space for more than one backup?

 

[shed]

do not rely on tt home to make a full back up, use windows

 

[blockkath]

can't connect

i've tried all the hints here - downloaded HOME2XXX, put it into cradle "hot", charged it. I still can get it to connect. Any futher help???? I'm on windows Xp office. i've sent a customer service email to tomtom but the reply says their response will be late.

 

[shed]

i've tried all the hints here - downloaded HOME2XXX, put it into cradle "hot", charged it. I still can get it to connect. Any futher help???? I'm on windows Xp office. i've sent a customer service email to tomtom but the reply says their response will be late.

when you have the cradle connected to the pc and the 720 turned on and in the cradle goto my computer and look for the two new drives, one is the sd card blank ( for music and audio books etc) the other is the tomtom, copy as above